FOX has officially announced their 2012-2013 lineup and revealed Touch’s new time slot. The show is being moved to Friday night, in what is commonly referred to as the “Friday night death slot“. It’ll air at 8:00 PM this fall, serving as a lead-in to the final season of Fringe.

The first season of Touch was given the benefit of FOX’s largest series American Idol as a lead-in but failed to perform well, losing half its audience within the first few episodes. With the lowered expectations for Friday night programming, it might just perform okay enough to stick around.

As some television critics have pointed out, to add salt to the wound, FOX president Kevin Reilly referred to Kevin Bacon’s upcoming new series The Following as the “new 24“. Ouch.

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travis

i hope its defgoing to get cancelled since it moved to friday nights death time slot. I love keifer as an actor but this show is soo slow and boring.. not even he can make it entertaining to watch. sorry but just do the 24 movie already!!! we want jack bauer on the big screen!!

Gerry Mander

‘Touch’ can continue from now ’til doomsday for all I care, it’s the ’24’ movie I’m concerned about, sometimes I honestly think that, despite their paying lip-service to it, the studio doesn’t give a monkey’s toss about Jack Bauer on the big-screen, they’ve made their money from the show, onto the next cash cow… the dastards!

BMAN

“Touch” is pretty much a dead show, and the move to Friday night is proof of that. I have a gut feeling that Kiefer Sutherland is now regretting to do the show given the negative reaction from both fans and critics, and the continuation of poor ratings week after week. As for “The Following”, I must admit the show looks intriguing but I don’t think it’s the next “24”. I think the only FOX will be excited about making the “24” movie if the producers can get a high profile writer and director attached to make the film. Somebody like Joss Whedon or Jonathan Nolan. Maybe having those two names attached to make the film, FOX won’t be so stingy on the budget.

Gerry Mander

Maybe the Kief’ didn’t show up over the whole dispute about the ’24’ movie and Fox’s tightness over budget and salary, on top of adding insult to injury regarding the new ‘Touch’ timeslot, and I don’t blame him either… if the studio want to royally p**s off Jack Bauer (which is never a good idea, just ask Dana Walsh), they’re going about it the right way, maybe it’s a deliberate move on their part to give them an excuse NOT to spend $30m-$40m on the ’24’ movie, but I’m probably being too conspiratorial here…

Yeah, they sure are coming across as jerks lately. This was from yesterdays upfronts Q&A session (with Fox president Kevin Reilly).

Q: “So how do you explain to somebody like Kiefer Sutherland the benefit of being on Friday?”
A: “Well, first of all, you’re on the air…”

Ouch. I think I would’ve preferred if they just cancelled Touch outright cause all they’re doing now is dragging out the inevitable. Then put the budget for Touch’s second season towards the 24 movie, and everyone wins. Though I’m sure it doesn’t work that way…

Will

It seems to me that Touch is just a pacifier for 24 fans … But this show has no action… No suspense and no common sense… This is all BS because between Kiefer doing another season of Touch and a different movie and us standing by and waiting for another year and all of these budget constraints concering a 24 movie … I wouldnt be surprised if all this is just a stall tactic for not doing a movie at all …think about this if Kiefer is busy this year whats to stop him from being” busy “next year… It all boils down to money…

RorshachLives!

It does seem increasingly obvious that Fox couldn’t care less about making a ’24’ movie, if they had, they would surely have pushed to get it shot this spring/summer for a decent amount of coin – probably around $40million – and released it in late November whilst there was/is still a certain momentum behind the project… but that would be too much like common sense for a studio that would rather just spend another $300million on a couple more ‘X-Men’ movies (despite each film since ‘X2′ taking less than it’s predecessor at the box-office) than a mere $45million on Jack Bauer’s big screen debut…

I don’t know why Fox renewed ‘Touch’ for a second season, it does seem that it’s peaked and fallen off considerably in ratings, and the second season is unlikely to radically improve that situation, the only reason I can think of is that it gives them sufficient cover to not make a ’24’ movie by having Kiefer on the series and then blaming his schedule for the movie not happening, whilst the truth of the matter is they would be filming the ’24’ movie AS WE SPEAK if the studio had given even a modest $40million to get it done this year, and then see how it performs at the box-office before determining if the two other potential ’24’ movie installments are worth making…

Northern Star

Hey, that thing posted my comment before I had finished writing it, what gives, let me try that again…

Let me state right out that ‘Touch’ is a goner and will not last the season, and if it does, it will most certainly NOT be renewed for a third season, meaning production on the ’24’ movie will have been postponed for well over a year because of a show that died long before it’s put down like a lame horse…

And speaking of the much-delayed ’24’ movie (thank you FOX!), if the studio bean counters are wary at spending $40million-plus on Jack Bauer’s big-screen debut, why don’t they hire a director who’s a relatively safe pair of hands and who they know will deliver a sufficiently commercial film to justify the budget; someone like Brett Ratner, not an obvious choice I know, and he has directed some so-so movies, but he is a talented and dependable journeyman filmmaker who has proven to deliver when the script is strong, like the excellent ‘Red Dragon’, and if he can handle that material in a sterling fashion (which he certainly did, in my opinion), he could do the ’24’ movie pretty decently, and if it allays the fears of the FOX accountants and lets them free up the $45million that Kiefer and Imagine want for the movie, then mission accomplished…

Gerry Mander

Brett Ratner, REALLY dude? Granted, ‘Red Dragon’ was excellent, but that was in spite of Ratner’s involvement, the strong script and stellar cast were what made that film what it was, Ratner’s direction was pretty decent if uninspired, he simply has no depth in any of his movies, ‘Red Dragon’ should have been directed by Paul Verhoeven. And I would keep Ratner the hell away from the ’24’ movie at all costs, if they can still get Antoine Fuqua, all well and good, but if not, then anyone but Ratner (or Michael Bay, shudder!), but Imagine had four other directors on their shortlist for the ’24’ movie, would be very interesting to know who they are…

Raquel

I find it funny that the show is about us all being connected, regardless the distance that separates us. And yet I feel like I am as distant from most of the opinions here shared as Portugal is from the USA, as far as millimeters are concerned. I don’t understand how people can’t see the brilliance of this show. For a minute, I thought people in America were crazy, if I may use this adjective, to state such hideous and wrong opinions about this amazing show. I am in Portugal. I am a Portuguese fan of this show and it is a shame that it does not depend on me for this show to continue, but I hope the right people find a way to keep this show for a very looooong time! TOUCH is brilliant, mind invigorating, heart warming, kind, and inspiring! It makes my brain smile at the innerworks of each episode. I think Kiefer Sutherland is an spectacular actor and I love his character in the show, but then again I’ve always found him outstanding and I am loving the discovery of the remaining actors that make up for this talented show. Congratulations to those who took any part in making Touch!! I can’t wait for the second season to start!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sheila

I loved 24 but, how can people even think to compare it with Touch? I think Kring is brilliant,to come up with such a thought moving show.For people to say such angry things about a show,is sad.They sound like Touch was the cause of 24 ending huh? Can you guys find something else to do or watch?

Linda

Hmm…I guess I’m not the average TV viewer. Can’t wait for the new season to start! Touch is one of my favorite shows and it makes no sense to me when people say its slow and boring. I find it facinating. Definately a hit with me. Hope to be watching it for many more seasons. Go Kiefer!!

Marie

Parker

Lets not expect TV viewers to think? It is a sorry statement that any program that deviates from very linear plot progression and predictable scripts are doomed to fail. The single exception was Lost. I hope the president makes good on at least one of his campaign promises – encourage American kids to get a good education. It’s too late for many of the parents…..

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